


Only Duct Tape and Time

by joshuaorrizonte



Category: Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Frottage, Light Bondage, M/M, Phoenix Wright Kink Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-24
Updated: 2012-06-24
Packaged: 2017-11-08 10:10:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joshuaorrizonte/pseuds/joshuaorrizonte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After "Dollie" sets Phoenix up for murder, Larry's there for his best friend- because he knows all about break-ups.</p>
<p>What he doesn't know is that Phoenix is a virgin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Duct Tape and Time

Larry was there when he was arrested. He was the first one who visited him- the only one who visited him. His heart ached for his best friend, who was nothing short of an absolute mess, and not even that bitch Dahlia had visited him. 

Not even her, whom Phoenix had told him, quite seriously, who he intended to marry.

"Dude, you're talking crazy," Larry had told him. "She's no good. Seriously. You're talking about marriage and she's just asking for that necklace back. I'd give it to her and kick her fake ass to the curb if I were you."

Phoenix hadn't spoken to him again until his arrest. And then, only because it appeared that Larry was the only one in his corner anymore.

"I can't believe that I'm asking you to do me favors after refusing to talk to you for two months, but..." Phoenix passed him a number, written on a scrap of paper, through the tiny slot in the plexiglass of the visitor's room. It was a really stupid set-up, but Larry supposed that, with how well guarded the place was, they didn't need to worry about anyone contraband being passed through it.

Larry glanced down at the piece of paper. A lawyer. "Nah, man. You need a lawyer, seriously." He met Phoenix's blue eyes. "I mean, no one else is going to do this for you," he said pointedly.

Phoenix looked away, and Larry realized his remark might very well have been misunderstood. He opened his mouth to clarify when Phoenix cut him off, showing that he understood Larry's point just fine: "She'll come through," he replied quietly. "She saw everything."

"If she saw everything, how are you behind bars right now?" Larry challenged.

"She'll come through," Phoenix insisted.

Larry sighed and stood. "Right, I better get on this. We need to get you hooked up with a lawyer." Before he left, he said his friend's name. Blue eyes turned back to him, and he looked straight in them. "I believe in you, Nick. I always will."

When Phoenix didn't respond immediately, Larry sighed heavily and left to go retrieve the man a lawyer. He didn't hear Phoenix reply, "I'm so sorry..."

Larry was in the gallery during the trial. He saw everything, heard everything, and his heart broke for Phoenix even more. He picked him up in the front of the courthouse. "Hey, let's go celebrate your freedom, man!" he said in false cheerfulness.

"No."

That was all Phoenix said. He didn't look at Larry as he started walking away. 

Well, that wasn't good enough for Larry. "Whoa, wait a minute, dude!" Larry said, jogging to catch up with him. "Okay, why not?"

"I don't feel like celebrating. There is nothing to celebrate."

"... Fine. Okay, we won't celebrate, but you're not going anywhere without me, Nick."

Phoenix heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine. Whatever. Your dorm room or mine?"

Larry wasn't expecting Phoenix to cave so quickly. He was forced to jog to catch up again. "Yours. Mine's a disaster zone," he answered.

The two young men walked together in silence; Phoenix's brooding, and Larry's helpless. Poor guy. Larry thought his breakups were bad... Well, none of his girlfriends ever tried to kill him and then frame him for someone else's murder. That was heavy, and Larry didn't have any words of wisdom to offer this time.

Not that any of Larry's words were ever wise, but still. Larry knew break-ups. He wished he could help him.

When they arrived in front of Phoenix's dorm, he stopped, dead in his tracks; Larry almost walked past him. "Nick?"

"... Can we go to your dorm instead?" Phoenix asked weakly, staring up at the building, heartsick.

"Yeah, dude. I mean, you've seen my messes before. Shouldn't be anything that you're not used to."

"Yeah."

With that, the pair changed direction. In silence they went still, until they got to Larry's dorm room on the other side of the campus. It was raining by then, and the friends were soaked through. Larry's first order of business, when they stepped in the door, was to toss Phoenix the driest towel he had. As he made a mental note to wash his towel, he then went to his fridge and removed two beers. He tossed one to Phoenix; then, thinking better of that plan, he set his own down, took the case out of the fridge, and carried it and his can back out to the "living room". 

"You weren't kidding," Phoenix murmured, looking around absently at the mess around them. His beer was already open, and he threw his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls.

"I'm lucky my request for my own room was granted. I'm a terrible roommate."

"Mmm."

Phoenix got down several more beers before he said anything again; it wasn't like Larry to drink slower than his buddies, nor was it like him to think about flagging anyone, but he seriously considered hiding the rest, with how quickly Phoenix was drinking. Larry almost didn't want to drink. He needed to be able to act quickly if Phoenix got some kind of stupid idea.

What exactly he thought Phoenix would do, Larry didn't know. But it was most assuredly going to be stupid.

"You know about breakups, Larry."

"Yeah, man, I do."

"How do you deal with this?"

Phoenix's voice was quiet and emotionless. Larry might've been the only person on the planet who knew him well enough to see the agony he was in. Maybe Edgey, too, but Edgey... That was something Larry would keep to himself. He knew Edgey was back. He knew he was in Los Angeles. He also knew that Edgey wanted nothing to do with them, because he had told Larry to his face that unless he was a defendant in a murder trial, Edgey didn't want to see him- or Phoenix- and if that was the case, Larry wouldn't want to see him. And to stay away.

He'd been so vehement about it that Larry didn't question him further, but it would wreck Phoenix to hear it. Ever. Especially now. Larry just had to assume that he was the only one who could help Phoenix now. He shrugged. "Exactly how you are, I guess," Larry replied. "Alcohol and distraction. Get drunk and stay that way until it's over."

"Beer tastes like piss," Phoenix whined, a surprising show of emotion. "Do you have anything else?"

"'Fraid not, dude. Get drunk enough and it won't matter, and it didn't when you started drinking, anyway."

"I'm too numb to care, really, but if it's going to help..."

"Nah, Nick. It's not the alcohol that helps. Only time will do that. The alcohol just gives you something to do to pass the time."

Phoenix groaned softly, a noise of despair that became a sob. Larry awkwardly put an arm around Phoenix as he cried. For someone who did this on a regular basis, he was certainly at a loss for how to handle it when it was someone else. When Phoenix's cries had calmed, he managed to choke out, "I'm so tired..."

"Yeah, I bet," Larry said soothingly, tugging the drunk man to his feet. "Come on, you can sleep on my bed. I'll take the couch."

The dark-haired man protested weakly, but allowed himself to be guided out of the main area of the dorm room and into the bedroom. Larry got him mostly on the low, uncomfortable bed, and Phoenix was passed out almost the moment his head was in the general vicinity of Larry's pillows. "I'll be right out there if you need me," Larry said quietly, in case Phoenix could actually hear him.

In response, Phoenix rolled over, almost in fetal position. The blond man sighed and left the room to settle down on the couch.

Larry managed to sink into a fitful doze, one that he was shaken from abruptly as he heard a crash, the sound of glass breaking, Phoenix wailing as a wounded animal would. The blond man lurched to his feet, frantic; glass breaking. Glass was sharp, skin was thin, and Phoenix sounded to be in pain. He hadn't-

He exhaled sharply in relief to see that Phoenix was, in fact, unharmed. There was no blood anywhere; he'd just dropped the glass Larry kept in the bathroom. Seeing Larry, Phoenix gasped, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean- I lost my balance, and then I dropped-"

Larry followed Phoenix's panicked gaze to the toiletry rack above his toilet. It was half-down and everything on it on the floor. Larry shrugged, a goofy half-smile on his face. "What're you spazing out for, Nick? It's just a bunch of soap."

"But- your glass-"

"I got it at the dollar store. C'mon, let's get you back to bed. Unless you're gonna puke up all the beer you drank. I'd rather you did that in here, actually."

"But I made a mess!" Phoenix wailed.

"Nick! Have you seen the condition of this place?" Larry returned, gripping his arm tightly. "Tell ya what. Sleep the booze off, get over the hangover you'll have in the morning, and tomorrow afternoon we can clean this place up together."

"You're really not mad?"

"The hell?" Larry pulled him into the bedroom as he talked. "Dude, I know she was playing games with your head but this is so not you! No, I'm not mad! I'm worried and I'm scared! What the hell did she do to you to make you think that stumbling because you're drunk will make me mad?"

Phoenix shook his head as they sat on the edge of the bed together. Larry frowned, disapproving, as he saw three more beer cans. Fresh beer cans. Larry hadn't just dozed. He'd fallen asleep. And Nick went and got drunk again while he was. Not good... "I can't lose anyone else," he cried on Larry's shoulder. "I treated you like crap! And now she's in jail, and you're doing this out of pity-"

"Whoa, hold on. You're pretty pitiful right now, Nick, but that's not why I'm doing this. I'm doing this because you're my friend and I love ya, man. It's tearing me to pieces to see you like this!" Larry cupped his face in his hands- Phoenix needed a shave, Larry noted- "You're not going to lose me, Nick. Okay? You know how I am with chicks. Once you've got me, you have to beat me off with a stick to get rid of me."

Phoenix smiled. Larry relaxed. Maybe his bestie since elementary school would be alright after all.

He tensed up in a hurry again when Phoenix kissed him. Well. Um... that was... unexpected... oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit...

Larry didn't break the kiss immediately. He was too stunned to. He had no idea that Phoenix liked boys, but, well... that explained all the crush-y issues with Edgey. 

Once he had that sorted out- that Phoenix liked boys, and it wasn't so shocking- he didn't break the kiss because it was new and interesting. Guys didn't kiss like girls, it seemed. Did Larry kiss like this? 

As Phoenix's tongue pushed into his mouth, he noted that was different, too. Boy tongues seemed bigger. Was it really bigger that girls? Hm... Well, his mouth certainly tasted different. That might've been attributed to the alcohol, but Larry'd made out with chicks who were drunk. Never fucked 'em in that condition, though. 

Would it still be as skeevy to fuck a guy while he was out-of-his-mind drunk? Let alone on a rebound...

Wait. Three beers did not a drunk man make.

... Well, it might make Phoenix drunk. Larry didn't drink with Phoenix often. He had no idea if Phoenix drank often, or how much. If he was usually sober, then yeah, three beers might well make him drunk. 

Why was Larry's objection to this that Phoenix was drunk?! 

Larry pushed Phoenix away; immediately, he regretted it, seeing Phoenix's heart shatter in his blue eyes. Again. "I'm sorry," Phoenix said softly. "I- I-"

"You're drunk." 

_What are you doing, Butz?!_

"That's the only reason."

Phoenix gave him a dopey smile, and said, in a very drunk tone, "I'm not drunk, Larry. I'm just..."

"No, Nick, you're drunk." Larry sighed. 

His friend didn't seem to hear him. "I just... I broke your glass, knocked down your rack, I'm drinking all your beer and sleeping in your bed, and-"

"And... what? Don't tell me you think I expect you to put out for me or anything."

"No, actually, I don't," Phoenix said with a shrug. "I'd be pretty annoyed if I thought you did. I don't really know why I just did that. It just seemed like the right thing to do..."

"Look, Nick, you're drunk."

"No, I'm not."

Larry shook his head, not sure what else to say. "I could taste it on you," he said. "It was strong enough to get me drunk-"

"That's it!"

"What's it?!" Larry said, startling as Phoenix leaped to his feet. "Nick!" he called, as Phoenix dashed from the room. He returned in a few moments, four more beers cradled in his arms. 

Larry's heart sank as Phoenix said, "If you don't want to have sex with me because I'm drunk and you're sober, then I could just get you drunk!"

"That's not how it works!" Larry protested.

"I cannot believe you're the one being reasonable." Phoenix sat down on the edge of the bed, cracking open a can. "You know what I think? I think- fuck reasonable. I was more than reasonable with Dahlia-"

"Dude, no you weren't."

"Whatever. The point is- my life revolved around her. For eight months. Eight months! She was my soulmate, and she just- she had to have been an evil twin! It's the only explanation."

Oh, here we go... Larry drank his beer as Phoenix ranted. This was familiar too him, too, and eventually it would come to a full circle. Phoenix was anything but reasonable about this. In fact, he was pretty fucking nuts. Not that Larry blamed him. He wasn't the epitome of a mentally balanced spurned lover, either; he'd been suicidal over breakups before. Not seriously- he knew that it was a feeling that would pass, and just acted in ways that would best vent those feelings.

He wasn't stupid.

Therefore, Larry had to wonder how the hell he ended up lying next to Phoenix, his body pressed against the other man's as they made out like it was going out of season. Phoenix's tongue probed his mouth again, and Larry went back over that last bit of conversation- "- and she never even made fun of me when I couldn't keep it up!"

"Wait, you couldn't keep it up?"

"Eh... not really... It's all the same, since neither of us really wanted to have sex before we were married, and-"

Larry didn't bother to try to recall the rest of that conversation, and pulled away abruptly, again. "Wait. You didn't want to have sex until you're married?"

"Yup."

"You're a virgin."

Phoenix sighed heavily, finally beginning to show the signs of annoyance that Larry was so accustomed to seeing when the two of them interacted. "Yes. What of it?"

"Oh boy..."

"And what difference does it make that I'm a virgin?"

There was a particularly annoyed quality to Phoenix's voice that told Larry that he was in dire danger of not getting laid. "I... well... nothing, but... I'm not sure you wanna lose it this way..."

Phoenix side-eyed him. "Larry. How did you lose it?"

"I... don't know, actually..."

"And you expect me to care?"

"You're Nick."

The dark-haired man sighed and shoved Larry off him. "Never mind, I think I'm sober."

Larry grimaced as he sat up, kneeling between Phoenix's legs. "Dude, if you really, really want to, then I-"

"You clearly don't. I'm sorry, Larry. I just..."

"Oh geeze, Nick, don't start crying again, please don't."

Phoenix wiped his watering eyes and glared at him. "I wasn't going to cry," he lied.

"Yeah, whatever." Larry reclined next to Phoenix, with a sigh. "I dunno, man... it's not so much that I don't want want to as, well... always thought I was straight."

"You're not?"

The blond man gasped in exasperation. "Obviously not, Nick, considering that I just spent the last ten minutes with my tongue down your throat."

Phoenix shrugged. "So you wanted to experiment a little. You still don't really want to have sex with me."

"Well... no. But not because you're a guy. Which, at the very least, makes me curious. At least."

The two men looked at each other. Larry was child-like in his honesty- and when he was lying, he was childish. Larry's open expression was distinctly honest, and Phoenix didn't think he was lying about that. Okay, so Larry wasn't utterly turned off at the thought of having sex with a guy, and wanted to see if maybe he was bisexual, not straight. So what? "That pretty much means you don't want it because I'm a virgin," Phoenix said dryly, speaking his last thought out loud instead of keeping it to himself.

Larry made a keening noise, wincing in a waffling fashion. "Yeah, well... maybe..."

"Larry, I swear, I don't give a damn who or how I lose it to. I just... the woman I wanted to marry tried to sell me out to save herself. I don't give a damn about much right now! I just want to-"

Larry's brain finally caught up with Phoenix's diatribe. "No, dude, seriously. It's not that. I thought you were better at telling when I was bullshitting you than this!"

Phoenix stared at him, eyebrow raised. And then he laughed. He was very aware that Larry was looking at him like his mind had just snapped, which made the irony of his statement even funnier. "Okay, so you really don't care about how people lose their v-cards," Phoenix said, getting a hold of himself. 

"No, not really. Can't even tell you how I lost it."

"So why do you care?"

"Well..." Larry grimaced. "You're a virgin."

"We've established that."

"Will you shut up and let me talk? Damn! That means you've never had sex with anyone else-"

"Yeeeeess... that's generally what 'virgin' means-"

"Nick, I'm going to give your mouth something to do if you don't stop interrupting me." Phoenix shut up, stunned by Larry's vulgar threat, and Larry took the opportunity to clarify: "What if I, like, totally suck? The experience would ruin you for men! What if you're not straight, or bisexual, but you're really gay? I could completely ruin your life, Nick!"

Larry kept his brown eyes on Phoenix's blue, impressed by that show of consideration and sure it would impress Phoenix, too. Instead, blue eyes reflected morbid amusement. "Larry... you're an idiot."

Larry winced, hurt flashing across his face. “Aw, come on, Nick!” he whined. “It’s a valid concern! There was this one time I slept with this girl and she was a virgin and she _hated_ it; last I heard she’d not even had sex with another girl since! I-“

“You have a huge, incorrigible ego,” Phoenix cut him off irritably. “I should go home just to take you down a few pegs.”

“Niiiiiiiiick!”

The dark-haired man sighed, pulling the distraught blond into his arms. “Come on. Seriously. I highly doubt it had anything to do with you. It’s almost never about you when you think it is.”

Larry clung to him, muttering about not taking him seriously and not leaving at this time of night. Finally, he laughed, and Phoenix pulled away slightly, looking down at him, bemused. “Are you cracking on me?”

“No,” he chortled, with a shake of his head. “I just find it funny that you’re here because- but instead I need- oh man, I’m a terrible friend.”

Now Phoenix felt bad. He hadn’t spoken to Larry in months, and it was entirely possible that Larry had his own drama to battle with. Not only had Phoenix taken his friendship for granted, he’d also taken the offer to let him spent the night for granted _and_ he’d shut the man down when it seemed like he was about to start talking! “No, Larry… I’m the one who’s been the terrible friend,” Phoenix replied, his eyes misting up. “I don’t talk to you for two months and then I make you run my errands and I drink all your beer and I break your toiletry rack-“

“Wait, you _broke_ it?”

“I’m sorry!” Phoenix wailed, completely overwhelmed again. “I’m so worthless! She was right-“

“Nick, stop, no no no no no!” Larry shouted over the once-again distraught man. “Don’t cry! Stop crying! God damnit, you cry baby, _stop it!_ ” 

If anything, Larry’s frantic and irritated commands upset Phoenix more, his howls of pain growing louder. Now, despite his apparent utter lack of self-awareness, Larry knew that he wasn’t the brightest light on the Christmas tree. He held Phoenix, puzzled and confused about what to do now, and knowing damn well that anything he did do ran the risk of simply flinging Phoenix over the edge. He really didn’t want to do that, because Larry was stupid, and he knew that he’d just fling himself off the edge after him, trying to catch him and drag him back.

And then they’d both be over the edge and Larry smelled trouble if that happened.

He scanned his mind quickly for anything that had been done or said that evening that would help Phoenix calm down and _stay calm_ because Larry didn’t think he could take much more of this. There was a span of time that Phoenix had been calm, and not because he was trying to hide the turmoil, either. He’d genuinely seemed to forget his cares during that span, and like a dumbass, Larry went and stopped it.

So Larry, with a shrug, started it again.

The kiss was close-mouthed, as Larry crushed his lips to Phoenix’s almost desperately. Phoenix’s sobs cut off in a surprised “Urp!” and his blue eyes widened as he stared at the face suddenly attached to his. 

In all of the romance movies Larry had been forced to watch, scenarios such as the one he’d found himself in resulted in the surprise kiss melting smoothly away into deep passion, the lovers forgetting their worries for the fifteen seconds of screentime the director could give before having to fade out to avoid an R or NC-17 rating. 

Their awkward kiss, however, stayed awkward, until Larry pulled away. “Hey, look,” he said softly, as his eyes locked on Phoenix’s, having the man’s undivided attention now. “You thought you were in love, right? I’ve been there. I’ve acted like an idiot over girls. It’s cool, really. And even if you broke the toiletry rack, that’s what duct tape is for. Furthermore, you seem to be sober and if you really mean that if you’re gay you’re not going to just give up on sex if I really suck at fucking boys, then I-“

“You are an idiot, Larry,” Phoenix murmured quietly.

Larry smirked. “Yeah, well, I don’t think I ever denied that.”

“Do you really want to have sex with me?” Phoenix asked quickly, to avoid an awkward silence. 

“I’m… not sure, actually. I have to admit I’m pretty damn curious at this point.”

“You seemed pretty desperate to get out of it, though.”

“Nah, that wasn’t until I figured out you were a virg. I mean, kissing you was pretty weird to begin with. Guys kiss different than girls. Or maybe it’s just you, I don’t know. But you _were_ drunk, and I never sleep with drunk girls, and then you told me that you were a virgin and I-“

“The point, Larry,” Phoenix cut him off. “Get to it.”

“You remember when we were grinding against each other just then? That felt _really_ good. I think I could’ve cum from it.”

Phoenix blushed at how blunt Larry was about that. “I- yeah. I was kinda irritated at you for stopping, actually.”

“Well… Let’s start it up again.” It was, again, so blunt that Phoenix’s mind couldn’t keep up and by the time it did, Larry was already speaking again: “Hey, you have any lube? I mean, I guess we could use spit, but- yeah, and who’s gonna take it?”

“Wh- wait. No, we’re not going to do anal,” Phoenix said firmly. “I’m really, really not ready for something like that-“

“Oh, cool, then! I didn’t think of that.”

“Huh?”

“So you’re going to still be a virgin when we’re done!”

“… Larry, you’re an idiot.”

“Well, that’s not very nice.”

Phoenix sighed heavily. “Penetration isn’t necessary to lose one’s virginity, Larry. If that was the case, straight men and lesbians would _never_ lose it.”

“Ya-huh!” Larry protested. “Dude, I had no idea you were so… so innocent! Man, I don’t know if I can-“ Phoenix’s weary gaze abruptly turned annoyed and slightly menacing, and Larry redirected his train of thought in an effort to keep Phoenix’s wrath at bay. “You see, dude, there are these things called dildos, and they’re shaped like-“

“I know what dildos are, Larry. That doesn’t explain guys.”

“… well, I guess virginity is a stupid concept anyway,” Larry conceded in an effort to stop their argument- again. “But I mean, I just always assumed that sex was tab a in slot b, and that was that.”

The dark-haired man sighed again, wondering if this was worth it. He couldn’t believe that he actually knew more about sex than Larry did, when Larry was the one who went through girlfriends like they were candy. That might help explain why that happened, though. “No. Sex is not simply penetration. Don’t tell me you don’t do foreplay!”

Larry looked at him, puzzled. “Of course I do. My girls go down on me all the time-“

His explanation was cut off in a frustrated groan. “I get it. I never got it before, but I get it now. You have no idea what the hell you’re doing. Wow, the mystery of why you can’t keep a girlfriend is solved.”

The blond’s face blanched in anger. “Now hear this, Nick!” he snapped. “I _always_ get my girls off! Always! There hasn’t been a single time- I always hold off so they can-“

“And how long does that take?”

Phoenix’s question seemed so absurd to Larry that his aggravation banked and dove. “Um… A few hours?” he replied. “All I know is that by the time they cum I’m exhausted, too. But girls love guys who can last!”

“They’re faking it, Larry,” Phoenix replied flatly. 

Larry stared at him, stunned at this matter-of-fact assertion. “You’re a virgin, Nick.”

Phoenix rolled his eyes. “And I have friends who talk. A lot. Dollie-“ he cringed, and Larry frowned in empathy- “Dahlia and I got a lot of pressure from them to do it… One of them even took to stuffing condoms in my backpack. One time we pulled an all-nighter with a few of our friends… I woke up with my stuff stacked neatly against a wall, and my backpack was overflowing with Trojan boxes.”

“I bet that was hilarious at the time,” Larry said quietly. 

For a second, Phoenix couldn’t tell why his friend was so solemn. Normally, that story would have had Larry in stitches- exaggerated, joyful peals of laughter. Larry didn’t smile, at all. And Phoenix’s face was wet. He swiped at the tears and gave him a wavering grin. “Yeah. Dahlia made them take them down to the clinic to be given away.”

“I’m glad you didn’t sleep with her, Nick. This would be so much harder on you…” His empathy surprised Phoenix, who opened his mouth to say so, when Larry abruptly amended, “But you’re still a virgin, so I don’t get how you could say they were all faking it.”

“Ugh… Larry, look, there’s more to sex than just sticking it in a hole. Not to mention the fact that anal sex involves more than enough bacteria without getting saliva involved, and I actually don’t have any condoms, do you?”

“Well… No, I’m… kinda between girls…”

“I’d hope you were,” Phoenix said, side-eying him at that. “Bacteria from the ass plus bacteria from the mouth plus barebacking means an impending urinary tract infection. I’m not letting you take that kind of risk and if I won’t let you, I’m sure as hell not going to do it.”

“Okay, Nick?” Larry said quietly. “I dunno about you but I brush my teeth. And floss. And mouthwash. Not that I’m going to push the fuckin’ you in the ass angle at all, but I’m really curious to know what you’re on about with bacteria in the mouth.”

Phoenix rolled his eyes, yet again. “Human mouths are absolutely filthy,” he started, “and there _is_ a ton of bacteria in them, and-“

“And you were shoving your tongue down my throat. Didn’t seem worried about it then.”

The dark-haired man stared at him, dumbfounded. “I don’t believe it,” he said flatly.

“Don’t believe what?”

“You actually have a valid point.”

“Are- are you saying I’m _right?!_ ”

“Wh- No! I’m saying that I didn’t think of it that way before, and-“

“You’re saying I’m right!”

“I am not!”

“Say it again, Nick!”

“Larry, I swear to God-“

“I mean it! Say I’m right! Come on, buddy!”

Abruptly, Phoenix started laughing. Larry eyed him, worried the dark-haired man’s mind was suddenly cracking, when Phoenix said, in an amused tone, “Say my name!”

It took only a second for Larry to get the joke Phoenix was making. “That’s right, Nick,” he growled in an over-the-top, pornstar voice. “Say my name!”

“That was strangely hot,” Phoenix observed, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, still chuckling. 

Larry, feeling he was on a roll, didn’t stop to think about what he was saying. “Then why aren’t you saying my name?” he demanded in that same, growly voice.

Phoenix leaned forward and kissed him roughly; Larry, after a moment of surprise- oh, so Nick really did think that was hot!- put his arms around the other man and returned the kiss, their bodies pressing against each other. They quickly found themselves in the same position they’d been in before: lying side-by-side, caught in a passionate embrace, kissing each other fiercely.

This time, instead of managing to get into an argument or a discussion about it, they both just let it go, doing what came naturally. Larry pulled Phoenix’s shirt over his head, and kissed his neck; Phoenix tilted his head back, whispering, “Larry,” in a breathy, quiet moan.

“It’s about damn time,” Larry paused in his kissing to murmur. He chuckled as Phoenix smacked his backside in response, idly thinking that in any other circumstance, that light blow would have been to the back of his head.

He chuckled and continued kissing Phoenix’s neck; he started as Phoenix reached between them and placed his hand gingerly over the bulge in Larry’s jeans. “Hey, stop that,” he said quietly as Phoenix started rubbing. “We’re not there yet.”

Phoenix smirked and kept up his motions. “Says you. You’re just taking too long.”

“You are incredibly impatient for a twenty-one year old virgin, you know that?”

“I am a twenty-one year old virgin, Larry, I think I’ve been patient for long enough!”

Seeing that Phoenix had no intention on stopping his ministrations, Larry pulled away and sat up slightly. He used Phoenix’s surprise at this movement to his advantage, rolling on top of him and grabbing his wrists. “There,” he said, gripping them and holding them alongside Phoenix’s head. That done, he bent to continue kissing Phoenix’s neck and shoulder, noting in interest that the growls and moans of pleasure he was making got just a little bit louder.

Despite the fact that Phoenix didn’t struggle, Larry discovered that this arrangement really wasn’t going to work when he tried to kiss a line down Phoenix’s chest. As Larry looked up at his hands holding Phoenix’s wrists firmly to the bed, and back down at his naked torso- hot damn, he didn’t realize guys could be that sexy, too!- Phoenix smirked. “That’s right, Larry. If you want to do _anything_ else, you have to let me go. Have fun trying to figure out what to do about it.”

Larry made a keening, annoyed sound. “Niiiiick…”

“Larriiiiiie,” Phoenix said, mimicking Larry’s tone. 

The blond huffed at him, clearly trying to puzzle out what to do about it. “Hey, I’ve got it!” Larry exclaimed suddenly, leaping off the bed. 

Phoenix sat up, watching as Larry started rummaging through the bottom of his closet. “Larry, what the hell are you doing?”

“Hey! No one told you to move, Nick! Lie back down and put your hands over your head.” 

The dark-haired man didn’t move, still watching Larry curiously. His face flushed scarlet when Larry turned to him, the object he was searching for in his hands. “Duct tape?!”

“Yeah, well, I had to get it out to fix the toiletry rack anyway, right?”

“Oh, Larry…”

“What?”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Shut your mouth, lie back, and put your hands over your head,” Larry growled in the over-the-top pornstar dom voice. This time it was as silly as it sounded and Phoenix snickered; in response, Larry pounced on him, knocking him on his back again with an, “Ooof!”

“I’m serious!” Phoenix protested as Larry straddled his chest and gripped his wrists again. This time he did struggle. “Larry, that’s _duct tape!_ Do you know how hard that is to get off skin?!”

“Actually, I do.”

“What?!”

“One of my girlfriends was pretty kinky, and-“

“Oh, don’t tell me, you’ve duct taped someone else to your bed.”

“No, she duct taped _me_ to the bed. Hold still, will you?”

“Wait, wh- never mind.” That bit of information was enough to shock Phoenix into being still; Larry was sitting far enough forward on him that he couldn’t see what Larry was doing. He had a great view of the other man’s crotch, though. Jesus, it looked like Larry was huge. Phoenix didn’t think he’d ever be ready for anal sex with him, if he wanted Phoenix to be on the receiving end.

Why was he thinking about the future? This was a one-night stand, right?

“There! Now I get to explore without you getting in my way!” Larry cackled.

Phoenix sighed, and twisted his head around, trying to see Larry’s handiwork. His attention brought to it now, he was surprised to feel the smooth side of the duct tape against his wrists, not the strong glue side. Larry had fashioned a set of tape bracelets, wrapped snuggly around his wrists, and another layer of tape was wrapped around those. The only bit of glue that came in contact with Phoenix’s skin was from the strip of duct tape wrapped between his hands and around the bedframe rail, effectively securing him to the frame. “Wow. You’ve got a talent for working with your hands, huh?”

“That’s what she said,” Larry drawled, and Phoenix laughed. “Now, where was I?” Larry said, rubbing his hands together in undisguised glee.

Phoenix rolled his eyes, grinning. “You were puzzling over how to get in my pants while keeping me held down,” he offered helpfully.

“Oh, yes! Well, looks like that problem’s solved.” And with that, Larry tugged at Phoenix’s waistline, grinning stupidly the whole time. 

The fact that Phoenix was, for all intents and purposes, pinned to the bed, presented a problem for Larry. Namely, how to get his sweatpants down past his butt. Phoenix had to plant his feet on the mattress and lift up to do so; Larry giggled at him and Phoenix glared. “You’re the one who thought it was a good idea to tie me down.”

“And I still think it was a good idea!” Larry retorted cheerfully.

Another sharp remark was on Phoenix’s tongue when he felt Larry’s hands and then his tongue on him. “Stop makin’ fun of it or I’ll stop,” he threatened. “Oh, by the way, I’ve never sucked a dick before, so let me know if I do something bad, mmkay?”

“No teeth,” Phoenix said breathlessly.

“No duh.”

He gave a strained groan as Larry started experimenting on him. “That’s the only thing I can think of that- oh god-“

His exclamation of pleasure tapered off into a whine as Larry lifted his head again. “There’s plenty, trust me,” he informed Phoenix matter-of-factly before resuming.

The statement that Larry had never given fellatio made it hard for Phoenix to relax for a few moments; he didn’t know what Larry was talking about when he said that there was a lot that could be ‘bad’ in giving a blowjob, but being as Larry was inexperienced in the practice, could he be trusted not to do any of those ‘bad’ things?

But if Larry knew about them, then they must have been done to him- or he heard about them and the tale was told in a sympathetic way that left an impression on him- and he’d be careful. After all, Phoenix was his best friend. He could trust him. 

With that, he relaxed and let Larry do what he wanted. 

Phoenix laid his head back, groaning and encouraging, letting Larry know when he was doing something that felt especially good. The effort it took to keep himself from thrusting into his mouth was also enough to keep him from reaching orgasm too quickly. Abruptly, though, the blissful sensations stopped, and Phoenix looked up, panting, to see that Larry had stood up and ripped off his shirt, and was working on his pajama bottoms and boxers as he watched. “Be right back, I need to get lube-“

“I still don’t want to do anal,” Phoenix said in a tense voice.

“Sheesh, Nick, I know. You ever had a friction burn down there? It hurts like-“

“Okay, okay! Go get the lube before we both go down!” 

Larry shot the bound man a crooked, charming grin, and traipsed out to the bathroom. An expression of annoyance drifted into the bedroom, as did the sounds of Larry rummaging through the wreckage of the toiletry rack. “Damn, man, you really did break it,” he said, returning with a bottle of lubricating liquid. 

“That’s not LZ, is it?” Phoenix asked.

“Nah, dude, LZ sucks,” Larry replied, squeezing a bit into his hand. He ran his hand over his manhood, and then knelt next to Phoenix after putting a bit more in his palm. Phoenix bit his lip and instinctively pulled at his bonds as Larry took him in his hand, stroking the liquid over him. “This is Sliding Stuff. It’s awesome.”

Phoenix was silent; anything he said would come out as a gasp or a keening whine, wanting more, a harder touch, faster stroking. Larry teased him only a bit, moving to kneel between Phoenix’s legs. “Hey, look, I’ve never done something like this before. How does sex work if you’re not sticking it in something?”

_You’re an idiot, Larry._ The sentiment wasn’t spoken this time; Phoenix was far too desperate to risk another long, protracted discussion about Larry’s intelligence. “Just do what we were doing when we were still in our clothes,” he said in a tight voice. “Is this loose enough for me to turn on my side?”

“No, don’t try it.” Larry gingerly positioned his body over Phoenix’s, kissing him again. He stroked Phoenix’s face as his tongue explored Phoenix’s face, and with his free hand, he reached down and fumbled with their erections for a few seconds. Phoenix gasped with every move of Larry’s fingers.

Larry broke their kiss and focused on Phoenix’s expression, watching intently. Phoenix stared back, bemused by his friend’s slightly odd behavior, as Larry gingerly lowered his body against Phoenix’s. Phoenix was about to ask him if he had something on his face when Larry’s body shifted, rocking his hips slightly. The dark-haired man gasped at the sensation. Larry must have seen something he liked- or felt something he liked- because he grinned and repeated the motion, a little harder, a little less timid.

Phoenix managed to connect Larry’s statement that he didn’t know what he was doing with his intent gaze. He was watching to see if his actions were right or not. Phoenix had no idea if they were “right” or not, but he pushed his body against Larry’s, their cocks sandwiched between them and rubbing together with every move of their hips.

They quickly worked themselves up into an almost frenzied pace, gasping and moaning; Phoenix pulled against his bonds and Larry muffled their voices by kissing him fiercely again. Suddenly, Larry slowed, the pressure he exerted lightening, and Phoenix somehow managed to figure out what he was doing then, too. “Don’t,” he groaned, trying to make up for the sudden lack of friction.

“No, Nick,” Larry gasped. “I’m too close, I’ll-“

“God damnit, Larry!” Phoenix snapped, desperation lacing his voice. “Don’t hold back like this!”

“But- but-“

Phoenix, aggravated and aching for the stimulation Larry had been giving him only moments prior, tilted his head up and kissed Larry’s neck roughly. At Larry’s startled gasp, Phoenix bit gently. That did it; “Okay, if you say so,” Larry moaned breathlessly, and quickened his thrusting movements again. 

The bound man felt a minor pang of disappointment when Larry grunted and a second later, and groaned loudly as Phoenix felt a warm, wet sensation on his abdomen. But it was minor- Larry had warned him that this was going to happen. But if Phoenix had to tell him to blow or jerk him now, he’d be pissed and would never have sex with him again.

Larry laid on him, panting, for a few moments. Just as Phoenix was going to ask him if he planned on finishing this, Larry sat up, scooted down the bed, and took Phoenix in his mouth again, licking him enthusiastically. Phoenix was soon on the edge again. “Larry,” he gasped in warning, “I’m about to-“

The blond man pulled up, but his hand replaced his mouth, and he stroked Phoenix quickly until he shot, his back arching slightly and head thrown back as he cried out. 

The stars had just barely faded from Phoenix’s vision, his frantic gasping beginning to calm, when Larry said, “Wow, a guy cumming looks a lot different from this angle.”

Phoenix laughed breathlessly. “You’re an idiot,” he said affectionately. “Sorry to kill the afterglow, but could you cut me free? My arms are getting sore and I think I really need a shower now.”

“Oh shit! Right.” Larry, as energetic as ever, bounced up and rummaged through his desk. He produced a pair of scissors and carefully cut the duct tape, quickly freeing him. “Hey, can I join you in the shower? I’m all hot and sweaty, too.”

“Yeah, sure, but no funny business. I’m done for the day, I think,” Phoenix said with a sigh, rubbing his wrists. 

Larry nodded. “Yeah, I’m super-tired too. We’ll rinse and sponge off and then try this sleep thing again, alright?”

“Right.”

~*~

Phoenix spent the night in Larry’s bed, as did Larry. He resisted the invitation to sleep together at first, but when he realized that Larry was earnest in the gesture, he agreed. Sunlight and Larry’s hand on his shoulder, calling his name- his real name, not his nickname- woke him. “Sounded like you were having a nightmare,” Larry said apologetically.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Dahlia?” A flash of pain on his face was all Larry needed to know that he was right, and he immediately regretted it. “Sorry, dude. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay. Not like it’s not completely obvious,” Phoenix replied, the ache in his chest that he escaped from the previous night returned and tormenting him anew. “I don’t know, Larry. I don’t know. It still hurts. I thought that we-“

Larry cut him off by putting his hand over Phoenix’s mouth. “That you were over her after an impulsive fuck? Yeah, no, dude. Time’s the only thing that can help it. I can help, but it’s not gonna make it stop hurting. You’ve got to do that on your own.”

Phoenix gave him a wavering, teary smile. “Hey, people say duct tape fixes everything, right?”

“Right. Why do you think I keep a roll of it around?”

“Impromptu bondage?”

“No,” Larry smacked him on the shoulder slightly, “I keep it because it does fix everything. Like I said, gonna tackle that toiletry rack later today.”

“Ah… you should let me do it. I’m the fool who broke it.”

“Nah. If anything, we’ll do it together, Nick.”

~*~

Phoenix was in Larry’s bed the next night, and the night after that. He returned to his own dorm room, when his roommate appeared at Larry’s door, worried that he hadn’t seen Phoenix since his acquittal. The roommate, thinking Phoenix to be worried about his opinion of him, reassured him that he thought that it was absurd that they’d arrested Phoenix for the murder, because Phoenix was one of the sweetest guys on campus.

“Then again, Dahlia was one of the sweetest girls on campus,” Phoenix countered, a distinct bitterness in his voice.

“… yeah, you’re right. Well, take your time, then, Nick. And you know where I live if you need another shoulder to cry on.”

With that, his roommate left, understanding better why Phoenix was avoiding his own dorm room, and determined to leave him be unless he wanted him sticking his nose in his business. Larry grinned. “So, are we gonna keep this thing under wraps?”

Phoenix raised an eyebrow at that. “That might be best. You will confuse the hell out of a lot of people if you tell them you’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Or make them feel stupid for not seeing it,” Larry countered, chuckling, “if I’m really as bad in bed with chicks as you claim.”

“Well, maybe you’re not so bad,” Phoenix replied, putting his arms around Larry and pulling him into a kiss.

~*~

Now Larry sat in a detention cell himself, in tears. He didn’t care that they thought he’d killed Cindy. He cared that she was dead. He was devastated. The last time Larry felt like this was when Phoenix walked out on him. It didn’t last long; there were several problems. It was emotionally intense, something Larry just couldn’t handle. It put an enormous amount of pressure on him, and it just made him shut down.

But Phoenix needed that intensity. He was on a rebound; it was keeping him distracted. As Phoenix started to heal, a lot of Larry’s habits started to grate on him, including his habit of blowing Phoenix off when he needed attention. 

And then there was jealousy. If Phoenix wasn’t getting any from Larry, why the hell wouldn’t he get it elsewhere? He worked with a super-hot chick-

“Larry, stop it!” Phoenix had snapped at him, more angry than hurt. He was far too numb to Larry’s idiocy by now to get hurt. But this idiocy was personal; a familiar pang hit him, an unpleasant squeeze in his chest, at the accusation. “The Chief is my _boss_. Do you know how much trouble we could get in if we-“

“Oh, so now it’s about getting in trouble!” Larry retorted. “Tell me more about how if you could without getting in trouble, you would!”

“Will you stop that?! I’ve never met someone who can twist another’s words so well that-“

“Oh, shut it, Nick! You’re just like all the others!”

“Bye.”

And then the door to Larry’s dorm room slammed behind him. Phoenix never knew how he broke down the moment he was out the door. And it had taken forever for Larry to even want to jerk it after that. And forever to want to hear Phoenix’s voice; by the time he was willing, though, his friend and former lover had stopped trying to call him. He also refused to pick up the phone now, too.

So what made Larry think he’d answer now?

“I’m calling him at work, for something related to work,” Larry mumbled, trying to clear his voice enough to speak coherently. The guard was getting testy; Larry wiped his eyes, picked up the phone, and dialed. One ring… two…

“ _Fey and Company Law Offices, Phoenix Wright speaking._ ”

Larry’s breath caught in his throat at the sound of his voice. The urge to cry surged in him, and he choked on his words. “ _Hello?_ ”

He knew he had to say something, coherent, before Phoenix hung up on him, assuming that it was a prank call. “Nick, I… I need a lawyer, and-“

“ _Larry?!_ ”

“Y-yeah.”

“ _You’re at the detention center?_ ”

“Yeah. They- they think I killed her, Nick-“

“ _We’ll be there in five minutes._ ”

There was a click, and then the dial tone. Larry lowered the phone from his ear, and the guard asked, “You done, kid?”

“Yeah.” 

“Get a lawyer?”

“I don’t know. I think…”

“Right-o. C’mon, back to your cell. We’ll get you if your lawyer shows up.”

Larry let the guard guide him away, rubbing his eyes with a handcuffed hand. Five minutes seemed to be forever; when they came back for him, the guard was puzzled. “Your lawyer’s asked to see you here instead of in a visitation room. You better keep not try anything, Butz. I’ve got no problems tazing your ass into oblivion if you do.”

Confused- why would Ms. Fey want to see him in his cell?- Larry nodded wordlessly, already tired of telling these assholes that he’s not a killer, didn’t kill Cindy, _couldn’t_ kill Cindy, couldn’t kill anybody…

“Larry?”

He looked up, not processing that the voice had been male, one that sent a shock of pain through him. He’d just thought of Cindy; that sent a shock of pain through him, too. There he stood, for the first time since they’d broken up, his messy black hair combed and styled into straight, neat spikes, absolutely rocking a cheap, blue polyester suit that would be excruciatingly tacky on anyone else. 

Phoenix walked towards him, sitting on the edge of his hard cot. “Tell me what happened,” he said gently, voice full of compassion.

Instead of doing that, Larry launched himself at Phoenix, dropping to his knees and flinging his arms around Phoenix’s waist. The guard started towards them as Larry buried his face in Phoenix’s stomach and howled, but Phoenix waved him away, shaking his head disapprovingly. The guard retreated, muttering about it being his own funeral.

The new lawyer shook his head again, and returned Larry’s embrace, one hand rubbing between his shoulders and the other stroking the other’s hair comfortingly. “It’s going to be okay, Larry. Everything will be okay, in time. You’re going to be okay.”


End file.
